


News from Lorien

by Taelle



Category: Lord of the Rings - Tolkien
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-21
Updated: 2009-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-04 21:43:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taelle/pseuds/Taelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day when the messengers from Lorien arrived to Imladris.</p>
            </blockquote>





	News from Lorien

Today would be a good day, Glorfindel decided, carefully combing his golden mane. The weather, though cold like it had been all this winter, looked sunny and crisp. Perhaps, he decided, tying his hair back, he'd go riding today.

The pulse of life in Imladris had slowed down even more than it usually did in winter. The singers in the Great Hall chose quieter, more melancholy songs, and the talk during dinner was more subdued. Everyone waited — waited for the weather to turn to spring and also, this year, for news of the Fellowship.

Glorfindel admitted to himself a sneaky enjoyment of this quietness. For one, it had been more than a month since any of the minstrels had remembered the Gondolin ballads, and Glorfindel found this respite precious. Returning to life in Aman he never thought that the ballads of his heroic feats would become a bane of his second life.

And, of course, the sudden general peace allowed him more time for himself — and, most of all, more time for riding. He knew that soon they probably would have to leave Imladris, to ride to battle, but for now he rode, and Asfaloth — and he himself — seemed to look fitter by the day. He breathed in the cold air and his mood became sunnier. Somehow this beautiful winter weather, he was sure, was a sign of benevolence from the Valar. He had seen too much failure and destruction. The Fellowship and the Ring-bearer had to succeed. There simply was no other choice.

Noise from the courtyard finally reached the level of being annoying, and Glorfindel went to the window to look outside. The unusual numbers of people congregated down there announced to his trained eye that the messengers from Lorien had arrived. Very well, there were enough people to help them and to take care of the horses who had to be even more exhausted than their riders. He'd go to Elrond to ask for the news and by the time he had talked with the Lord of Imladris the commotion would certainly disperse and he would be free to take Asfaloth out of the stables and go riding in peace.

The way from his room to Elrond's office wasn't that long, but Glorfindel could've sworn he met much more people than usual on his way there. One maiden sniffed loudly at seeing him and ran into a side corridor; a minstrel went past him looking as if he just had sung ten saddest lays at once. Glorfindel shrugged and went on, wondering what was going on.

When, however, at Elrond's door he met Erestor coming out and Elrond's counsellor clasped his hand, saying "I'm sorry," Glorfindel began to feel disturbed. They all reacted as if someone had died — but who? Had bad news come from Lorien?

After all those preparations Elrond's grave face was no surprise. Glorfindel closed the door behind himself carefully and turned to his old friend. "All right, Elrond, what happened? Has someone died?"

For all his guesses, he did not really expect an affirmative answer. So when Elrond breathed out "Oh, Glorfindel," a cold weight seemed to settle in the pit of his stomach. Who? Elrond's children, thank Eru, were all present and accounted for in Imladris. Someone in Lorien? He had friends in Lorien, but none so close as to prompt a reaction like Erestor's…

"Who?" he asked, struggling with the tightness in his throat. "Who, Elrond?"

"I'm sorry, Glorfindel. I know you and Mithrandir spent much time together… The Fellowship came to Lorien without him, they said he had perished in Moria…"

Elrond continued to talk, but Glorfindel continued to stare at him, stunned. "But… Elrond," he said slowly, "Mithrandir couldn't have died…"

Elrond looked at him and there was pity in his friend's eyes. "Glorfindel…"

"No," Glorfindel said. "No, no." He sat down firmly in a chair across the desk from Elrond. The news could be dangerous, but at this moment the sadness in Elrond's eyes worried him more. "I mean, don't you know who he is?"

"Istar…" Erond answered, bewildered.

"Exactly," Glorfindel nodded approvingly. "But who are the Istari?"

Elrond still looked surprised. Glorfindel knew Mithrandir did not usually reveal himself to elves, but still, he thought a loremaster such as Elrond would've known… "Elrond," he said seriously, "Istari are Maiar sent to Middle-earth to aid and counsel us. I don't know what happened in Moria, but if there was a death there, it must have been only Mithrandir's physical body. Do not grieve, my friend. Beings such as he do not need us to grieve over them. Can you imagine grieving, for example, for Osse?" he added with a small smile.

Elrond's face was thoughtful, as though he were turning this information over in his mind. Glorfindel reminded himself to tell Elrond later not to put this into public chronicles. Not everyone was meant to know this — even he himself, back in Aman, learned about this almost by chance…

Finally a slow smile appeared on Elrond's face. "You bring me joyful news, my friend," he said. "Even if Mithrandir as we knew him is gone… Perhaps not everything is as bad as we think it is?"

Glorfindel smiled and nodded at him approvingly. "You finally listened to what I've been telling you all these years. You can be too prone to melancholy, my friend. And now," he said, rising from the chair and banning from his mind all thoughts of things he could do nothing about, "I'm going riding. The weather is fine, and Asfaloth, I'm sure, is already impatient."

Glorfindel nodded his farewell to Elrond and went to the door. Then, already in the corridor, he paused before closing the door on his friend, who still sat behind his heavy desk. "Elrond?" he asked suddenly. "Come riding with me, please!"

Elrond was starting to shake his head, denying his request, but then, Glorfindel knew he would do so. "No," he grinned, "I'm not listening to your excuses. I'm going to the stables, and if you're not there in fifteen minutes, both Asfaloth and I will be very cross with you."

Then he closed the door and went downstairs, laughing quietly to himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Lara for betaing this.


End file.
